Drawbar attachment for tractors



Nov. 11, 1924 1,514,865

F. J. SILVA DRAWBAR ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed Jan. 17, 1923 2 Sheets-Shea` 1 INVENTOR. WAN/LVN J. S/L VA.

l ATTOR EYS.

F. J. SILVA DRAWBAR ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Nov. 11 1924. 1,514,865

Filed Jan. l'7, 1923 2 Sheets-5h69` 2 IN VEN TOR. FPANA/wv J S/L VA @www5 A TTOR EYS.

Patented Nov. il, i924.

P FMQE.

FRANKLYN J. SILVA, F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO* MOSES IVI. KAHN, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DRAWBAR ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS.

Application led January 17, 1923. Serial No. 613,140.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANKLYN J. SiLvA,

a. citizen of the United` States, residing at Oakland, county of Alameda, and State ot California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Drawbar Attachments for Tractors, of which the following is a speci ication. f

This invention relates to tractors and particularly pertains to means for adapting a tractor ot the Fordson or like type to serve as a suitable traction means for heavy duty trailers.

Prior to the present invention several attempts have been made to assemble a tractor of the type mentioned with a low bed twowheeled trailer, with the object in view of providing an economically operating freighting unit of large capacity.

In order to assemble this unit so that it could be comparatively easily maneuvered in the regular paths of traflic, it was necessary that the drawbar of the trailer be pivotally connected to the rear of the tractor. This imposes approximately halt ot the load of the trailer onto the tractor, and, since the weight of a tractor of this type is not sufiicient to counterbalance this load, its front wheels will not remain on the ground 30 while in operation. Several experimental methods have been tried in an effort to overcome this ditliculty, but none of them have proven entirely successful.

Therefore, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide generally improved means for adapting a tractor of the type mentioned to duty as a power plant for trailers, which means embodies a draft mechanism for receiving the drawbar of the trailer, said mechanism being designed to distribute the pull throughout the tractor frame and also to support the load on the trailer in a manner to lower the center ot gravity oi" the tractor and to assure that the front wheels of the latter will remain firmly on the ground when the tractor is in operation.

The invention is exempliiied in the follow description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tractor of the Fordson or like type, with parts broken away to disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention.

F ig. 2 is a skeleton plan view of the trac-V tor showing the invention applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the rear axle assembly of the tractor disclosing certain details of the invention. .I

l? ig. 4 is a side elevation of a freighting unit disclosing a tractor connected to a trailer by means of my improved drawbar connection.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, l0 indicates a tractor of the Fordson or like type and 11 a draw-V bar of a low bed two-wheeled dray or trailer.

It isy intended that the present invention serve as an adequate coupling between the drawblar of the dray and the tractor, so that the two will operate as a unit. This. provides a freighting unit of large capacity, moderate speed and one which lis comparatively easy to maneuver along the regularL paths of traiiic.

The two wheels of the trailer are located i adjacent the'rear of the trailer to support a portion of the load. The remainder of the load is to be supported by the tractor.

For this purpose, the drawbar of the trailer includes a rigid yoke 12 comprising two bars having semi-circular ends 14. These ends, when the tractor is coupled to the dray, bear on wear plates 14a, positioned directly below the center of the rear axle assembly of the tractor. The wear plates mentioned are firmly secured by headless rivets to a transverse plate 15 which extends beneath the differential housing of the trac* tor. The ends of this plate are securely fas tened tosections of channel bars 16 positioned beneath the aXle housing and firmly anchored thereto by means of U-bolts 17. The inner surfaces of the webs of these channel sections are litted with side wear plates 18 between which the yoke 12 snugly lits. The yoke is free to turn between the side wear plates and yserves to place the load on the tractor at a point directly below the center of the rear axle.

The drawbar 11 of the trailer is fitted r Usha}'-e with a semi-circular rear end 2e. The bui'ei plate 23 is also segmental with its circular tace positioned concentric to the rea-r end V2e of the traction yoke. The space between the rear tace ot the butter plate and the iront face of the tractionv yoke is suiiicient to eceive the king bolt. It is obvious by reference to Fig. 2, that when the tractor negotiates a turn, the king bolt is allowed to move in a circular path of travelso that a direct pull will be ei;- erted on the drawbar to turn the trailer.

When backing,-the buffer plate protects the end oic the differential housing and permits the tractor to rback the trailer while positioned at an angle thereto.

The ends of' the traction yoke 22 are secured to segmental plates 25Y bolted to front face ot the flanges 26, which flanges connect the engine ot the tractor tothe transmission case. Alsoconnccted to these plates 25 are the endsV of a strap 2T which is U- shaped and bears against the front tace of the front axle mounting lug ot the tractor.

The'mounting o-f'the'traction yoke 22 and the strap 27, distributes thek pulling strain throughoutthe frame oi the tractor.

When the ytractor and trailerare turning,

the ends of thejdrawbar yoke will limit the Vturning movement of the tractor by abutting against'the sides oft the differential housing of the tractor.

Due to the Jfact that the portion o" the load: borne by' the tractor is applied directly below the vcenter of the rear axle,there will be no Vtendency for the front wheels of the tractor to leave the ground. By employing the traction yoke 22 the pulling strain is imposed on the tractor independentlyof the direct load on the rear axle 4of the tractor and isdistributed throughout the trame of the tractor. It is seen that the tractor may Veasily-be disconnected trom the trailer by simply withdrawing the king pin. By my 4invention l provide a vertically rigid draw bar on the trailer which is k connected to the frame of the tractor by two load sustaining points of connection which are located below the frame of the tractor and in a position as to relieve lthat part of the tractor trame back of the center of the axlefromy down thrusts.

From the foregoing it is obvious that comparatively simple means have beenfprovided, which adapt a tractor oit the Fordson type to US@ as a power plant and traction means iorheav-y duty drays or trailers;

l/Vhile I have shown'the lpreferred form of the inventionas now known to me, it is understood that'various changes in its vconstruction maybe made without departing from'the spirit of the invention as delined in the appended claims. Y

Havingthus described my invention, what v I claim Yand y desiretc securt by Letters yjPa'tentis:

l. Means for adapting a tractor ot the type mentioned to duty as traction means tor two-wheeled trailers, comprising means included in the drawbar 'ot the dray and bearing on the frame of the tractor at the center of the rear wheels thereof, and other means connecting the drawbar of the trailer Vto the frame of Vthe tractor in a manner whereby the pulling strain will be distributed over the entire frame of the tractor.

2. The combination with a tractor and a two wheeled trailer, of a hitch therebetween comprising a load sustaining drawbar vertically rigid with respect to the trailer, and a load sustaining connection between said draw bar and the 'frame of the tracto-r, said load sustaining connection being arranged below the rear axle of the tractor, and so positioned with respect to the rear axle of the tractor as to relieve that part of the tractor back of the center oi the axle from down thrusts, and a pulling connection between drawbar and the tractor independent ot said load sustaining connection.

Sylt/leans forV operatively 'connecting a tractor 01"' the type described with a trailer for forming a ireighting unit, comprising bearing means connected with ,the axle lious- 1 ing of thetractor,r a Yyoke incorporated in the d rawbar of the trailer, bearing on said bearing means adjacent the ends of the axlel load directly to the rear tractor wheels, and

means connecting the drawbar to the trame of the tractor in a vmanner whereby the pulling strain will be distributed over the entire frame ot rthe tractor. i i

5. In combination with a tractor and a the same to form a treighting unit, compr-ising members secured to the frame ot the tractor and positioned one adjacent 'each side thereof, a tranverse member connected at its ends to said members, a yoke incorporated inv the drawbar of the trailer land bearing on said transverse member adjacent each each end thereof, and a pulling connection between the drawbar and the tractor trame independent ot said yoke.

llO

trailer, of means for operatively connecting A6. ln combination with a tractor and a 1 trailer', of means for operatively connecting the same to form a reighting unit, compris- -lng members securely anchored to the aXle heiress' housing' oit the tractor and positioned one adjacent each end thereof, a transverse member connected at its ends to said members, a yoke incorporated in the drawbar ot the dray and bearing on said transverse member adjacent each .end thereof, a substantially semi-circular traction yoke secured to the trame of the tractor, a butter plate secured to the tractor frame and formed substantially concentric with the traction yoke, a king pin carried by the drawbar and insertable between the traction yoke and the butler plate.

7. ln combination with a tractor' and trailer, ot means for operatively connecting the same to form a` freighting unit, comprising members securely anchored to the axle housing of the tractor and positioned one adjacent each end thereof, a transverse mem ber disposed directly beneath the axle and connected at its ends to said members, a yoke incorporated in the drawbar of the trailer and bearing on said transverse member adjacent each end thereof, a substantially semicircular traction yoke secured to the trame of the tractor, a buffer plate secured to the tractor frame and formed concentric with the traction yoke, a king pin carried by the drawbar and insertable between the traction yoke and the buffer plate, and means con necting the traction yoke to the front and center of the tractor iframe.

8. The combination with a tractor and a two-wheeled trailer, of a hitch therebetween comprising a yoke carried by the trailer and vertically rigid with respect thereto and extending beneath the rear axle or the tractor, means connecting said yoke with the frame of the tractor whereby to provide two load sustaining points of connection between the tractor and the trailer, which points are located beneath the Jtrame of the tractor and in line with the rear axle of the tractor.

9. The combination with a tractor and a two-wheeled trailer, of a hitch therebetween comprising two load sustaining points of connection between the tractor and the trailer arranged below the trame of the tractor in a line with the center ot' the rear axle ot the tractor, and a pulling connection between the tractor and trailer, said pulling connection being connected to the tractor frame forwardly of the rear axle of the tractor.

l0. i hitch for transmitting the weight ot' the forward end or" a two-wheel trailer to the trame or a tractor, comprising a load sustaining draft bar vertically rigid with the trailer trame and having members extending forwardly beneath the axle of the tractor and at either side of the dili'erential lionsing, and a. load carrying connection between each of said members and the frame of the tractor so positioned as to relieve that part ot the tractor trame back of the center or" the axle from down thrusts.

il. En combination with a tractor and a trailer, of means for forming a load sustaining connection therebetween ccmprisingmembers secured to the :trame ot the tractor and positioned one adjacent each side thereof, a transverse member connected at its ends to said members and extending beneath the tractor frame, and a yoke connected with the trailer and vertically rigid with respect thereto, said yoke bearing on said transverse member' adjacent each end thereof.

l2. ln combination with a tractor and a two wheeled trailer, of a hitch therebetween comprising a draw bar vertically rigid with respect to the trailer, bearing means disposed below the tractor trame and connected thereto, a yoke incorporated in the drawbar o the trailer and bearing on said bearing means at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the tractor and at a point with respect toT the rear axle ot the tractor to relieve that part oft the tractor' frame back of the center of the rear axle from down thrusts.

13. In combination with a tractor and a two wheeled trailer, oi a hitch therebetween comprising two load sustaining points of connection between the tractor and trailer, said points of connection being' so arranged as to relieve that part of the tractor frame back of the center of the rear axle from down thrusts, and a pulling connection between the tractor and trailer, said pulling connection being independent of said load sustaining points of connection and connected to the tractor frame forwardly of the rear axle of the tractor.

FRANKLYN J. SILVA. 

